INSIDE THE Xs AND Os

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/08/2010 (5535 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VEGAS LINE:

Tiger-Cats by three points.

BLUE VS. TICATS:

SINCE 1950: The Bombers hold a 54-43 advantage over the last 60 years and are 7-3 in their last 10 vs. the Ticats. Hamilton is 1-1 at home in 2010; Bombers are 0-2 on the road. Winnipeg’s last road victory was in Hamilton last Oct. 12.

ROSTER UPDATE:

TAKE a deep breath here, folks. The Bombers have added DB Deon Beasley (he may also return some kicks); new Canadian DB James Green will back up Brady Browne at safety with Ian Logan (hamstring) out; SB Chris Davis comes aboard for Terence Jeffers-Harris (ankle); SB Scott McHenry is on for WR Markus Howell (hamstring); LB Bernard Hicks will make his first start for Ike Charlton (released) at linebacker, and punter Mike Renaud returns and will take the roster spot of DB Jerry-Ralph Jules (now on nine-game injured list with a knee injury).

The Bombers’ injured list also includes LB Marcellus Bowman (hand), DB Keyuo Craver (knee), LS Chris Cvetkovic (knee), OL Ryan Donnelly (knee), DB Shawn Gallant (knee), OL Glenn January (pectoral).

"The injuries are part of the game," head coach Paul LaPolice said with a shrug. "We always have a term in our locker-room: We talk about ‘Adapt, improvise and overcome.’ We talk about this being a ‘no-excuse environment’ and finding a way to get it done."

‘MYSTERY’ SOLVED:

QB Buck Pierce did not make the trip to Hamilton and will not start, even though the Bomber depth chart lists him as the starter. Steven Jyles will start his third consecutive game and fourth of his CFL career. Here’s LaPolice’s latest update on Pierce: "It’s one thing to throw in the pocket… we’ll get a much better evaluation next week when we can run sprint-out, move the pocket, slide and all those things."

GAUDY NUMBERS:

FORGET passing yards, receptions and sack totals… get this: That spectacular soccer-style TD celebration by Ticat slotback Dave Stala last week in Regina now has 650,000 hits on YouTube. The Ticats have also been asked for mug shots and bio information on Stala by CNN and the routine was mentioned on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption.

"My background is soccer, my first love is soccer," Stala said. "I’ve worked on it and tried to do it during the World Cup but never got in the end zone. I didn’t think it would be this big. It’s overwhelming."

FYI:

BOMBER DB Clint Kent leads the CFL with nine special-teams tackles… Brandon product Chris Bauman, the top pick of the 2007 draft, has fallen out of favour in Hamilton. He’ll be a healthy scratch tonight as the Ticats start Matt Carter at WR and back him up with Adam Nicolson… Ticats have forced a league-low eight turnovers this year… Bomber RB Fred Reid sports a 6.6-yards-per-carry average vs. the Ticats but has not found the end zone in 12 career games against Hamilton… The Bombers lead the CFL with an average of 8.2 yards and have a gaudy 68.1 completion percentage on second down.

— Tait